Another possible explanation for the manatee sightings is that the animal has always migrated to different parts of the Caribbean, but a lack of information-sharing between countries, coupled with inadequate technology, may have hindered the discovery.
Today, more fishermen travel with cell phones and can capture photos and videos of the marine life while out on the water — something that wasn’t as common several years ago.
“Before we had cell phone technology available, perhaps these sightings were taking place in places where people weren’t able to share information,” Alvarez-Alemán said. “We need to keep doing research in order to see if this is the case or if this is something taking place because of changes to the habitat in Florida.”
More sightings, more research
After the 2007 sighting, a decade would pass before another Florida manatee was reported in Cuba. Like the first sighting, it was a mother and a calf with enough scarring that researchers could confirm the adult had come from Florida. Earlier that year, a photo had been taken of it in Fort Myers. The animal would also be sighted in Cuba in January 2020.
Between November 2020 and February 2021, two Florida manatees appeared not in Cuba but in Cancún— the first-ever sightings in Mexico. Researchers noted that they were larger than the local manatees, and had several scars on their bodies that are rarer in those waters, as boat accidents don’t affect animals in Mexico as often. They were also extremely friendly like Florida manatees, coming close to humans.
This February, another Florida manatee was spotted by fishermen in Santa Cruz del Norte, Cuba, where the first sighting had originally been reported back in 2007. The fishermen were surprised by how friendly it was, and gave it freshwater from a hose.
A Florida manatee drinking water from the hose of Cuban fishermen in February 2022. (Photo courtesy of Aniushka Borroto Bermúdez)
“All it did was drink water from a hose that the fishermen were giving it,” Aniushka Borroto Bermúdez, a resident of Santa Cruz del Norte, told Mongabay. “I was amazed that such a big animal, one that seemed so alone, could interact so well with humans.”
The increase in sightings has encouraged Alvarez-Alemán and other researchers to step up their efforts, carrying out increased monitoring and genetic testing to determine whether the different subspecies are interbreeding more than previously thought.
“We’re trying to piece together information and obtain photographs from areas outside of Florida to compare them to our database,” Kari Rood, of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Florida Manatee Program, told Mongabay.
The jury is still out on what Florida manatees are doing in different parts of the Caribbean, and what it means about previously unknown evolutionary trends. But with these efforts, an answer may come soon.
“As partnerships grow stronger and we’re able to obtain information more quickly,” Rood said, “we can better identify the connections that are being made.”
Citations:
Alvarez-Alemán, A., Beck, C. A., & Powell, J. A. (2010). First report of a Florida manatee (trichechus manatus latirostris) in Cuba. Aquatic Mammals, 36(2), 148–153. https://doi.org/10.1578/am.36.2.2010.148
Alvarez-Alemán, A., Austin, J. D., Jacoby, C. A., & Frazer, T. K. (2018). Cuban connection: Regional role for Florida’s manatees. Frontiers in Marine Science, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00294
Castelblanco-Martínez, D. N., Alvarez-Alemán, A., Torres, R., Teague, A. L., Barton, S. L., Rood, K. A., Ramos, E. A., & Mignucci-Giannoni, A. A. (2021). First documentation of long-distance travel by a Florida Manatee to the Mexican Caribbean. Ethology Ecology & Evolution, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2021.1967457
Banner image: An Antillean manatee. (Photo courtesy of Patrick M. Rose/EFE)
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Animal Behavior, Animals, Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Environment, Mammals, Marine Animals, Marine Biodiversity, Marine Ecosystems, Oceans, Seagrass, Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation
Caribbean, Central America, Cuba, Florida, Latin America, Mexico, North America, South America
Source link : https://news.mongabay.com/2022/04/why-are-florida-manatees-showing-up-in-cuba-and-mexico/
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Publish date : 2022-04-29 03:00:00
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